Learning from The Dubai Future Foundation #3
There are 327 pages in my “Global 50” pdf report from The Dubai Future Foundation. The competing narratives are as interesting as the insights and a perspective from Dubai brings up issues that may not normally emerge in an American analysis of “mega trends” and “global insights”.
Can digital technology enhance the cultural power of history?
“Digital realities enhanced by brain–computer interfaces change how we experience history and culture, providing real-time immersive insights into the development of communities and cities helping to enrich education and preserve cultural heritage.”
Opportunity 21, The Global 50, The Dubai Future Foundation
Imagined as an opportunity the power of digital to secure the continuance of a cultural history is undoubtable if people are interested. A quick scan of the world would indicate that history shapes identity even as people embrace open future forward opportunities. It is a reminder that culture is dynamic and itself shaped by its relevance to our modern lives.
In another section of the report “loneliness” is seen as part of a mental health crisis. “34% of Australian adults are lonely” and “In the United States, 43% of adults lack companionship, lack meaning, or feel isolated”. Maybe they need a deeper sense of cultural history? Is this why indigenous people seem more influential on settler minds?
Questions of belonging, wellbeing, identity and digital media are wrapped up in these insights and because the report frames these as “opportunities” it makes you think. We humans are more complex than we like to think we are. History is not “bunk” as Henry Ford is quoted as saying and our technologies do not necessarily lead to Utopia as Silicon Valley can sometimes believe. We live in competing narratives in which truth can be difficult to divine. Clinging on to a mythic past is as silly as grabbing hold of an imaginary future. As this era of transition continues the task of choosing truth becomes more challenging, more interesting and more important. It is not only a determinant of good strategy but an element of finding a personal path that feels good.